


She's the Queen

by kaylee_wolf



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Delta Violet AU, F/F, F/M, Gay, Gen, Inspired by The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game), M/M, Multi, No main characters die, Not Everybody Lives, Other, by the way this game broke me, im writing fics to stop myself from crying everytime i hear sweetpea, the relationship tags kinda give stuff away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2020-03-09 23:09:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18926872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaylee_wolf/pseuds/kaylee_wolf
Summary: Clementine Elizabeth Everette rose to the throne after her parents died on a trip to make an alliance. Everyone knew it was assassins, but never bothered trying to find them because, well, politics turn into death all the time. Even if she was the queen afterward, she couldn't waste money on trying to find her parents' murderer when her kingdom was just starting to flourish.However, she was helped during the whole ordeal by her advisor, Lee Everett. The fact he was there to comfort and help raise her younger brother, AJ, made the sudden rise to power somewhat bearable.What she never expected was to wake up and see a dagger hovering over her throat and another girl staring at her in wonder. An assassin is what that girl was, but Clementine was still breathing the next morning.Breathing meant she was alive.And even as happy as she was, there was a part of her that wanted to see that girl again. That part of her was a longing, but alas, she had a kingdom to run. And with a kingdom to run comes political marriages.





	1. Chapter 1

Clementine had been up for hours, fixing her hair, getting dressed, tidying her room, and practicing her handwriting. The gowns she had to wear were always underfoot, so she was extra aware of the fact she had to pick it up to walk. She put her hair into a bun and was jittery as all hell. Today she had a meeting with her fiance - the prince of a neighboring kingdom. She didn't even know his name.

A knock came from the door and she called out for whoever was there to come in. Her advisor, Lee Everett, and her little brother, AJ, entered her room with an informal greeting. The little boy ran up to his sister, grabbing onto her gown and chanting her name. "Hey, goofball," she says, holding back a yawn. She hadn't been getting enough sleep ever since she saw that girl. "How much longer 'til we go down?"

"About twenty minutes," Lee answers, frowning when he sees the bags under her eyes. "But I can always call it off if you need more sleep, sweetpea."

Clementine rolls her eyes with a small smile. She appreciated the concern, but she knew her limits. "I'll be fine, Lee. It's only a couple of hours for dinner."

"Fine. At least let me do your make-up so you don't look half dead," he insists. He learned how to do make-up when he was a young boy and his mother's hands got too shaky to do it herself. It was something he always offered to do.

"If you insist." She opens her drawer and takes out the kit she got for her birthday just last year. "Make sure it matches my dress."

She brought AJ into her lap and allowed him to play with her hands. When Lee started with the make-up, she instantly relaxed. He covered the bags she had, but nothing else. Her freckles deserved to breathe for a day. Her dress was white with a navy blue stitching and a fair amount of navy blue fabric at the bottom, so he kept the colors he used in the blues.

It only took fifteen minutes for him to finish, so they took the final five they had to talk. Lee was often busy keeping AJ busy and Clementine had politics to handle, so their time spent together was limited to when she wasn't handling politics or sleeping, which wasn't as often as they would've liked.

"I still can't believe you're getting married for _politics_ ," Lee sneers. "I know that keeping ties is important, but contracts exist."

This makes Clementine laugh, "Vraiterra is an old fashioned kingdom, Lee. If that means getting married, I'm okay with it. They're even agreeing to not insist on us having children unless we want to."

He groans again, looking at his watch. "They'll be here soon... Shall we go downstairs?"

She nods, her nerves rushing back to her like a thunderstorm rushes to start during the summer. The boy she was about to meet she would marry. She had no idea if she would even like him and if she got lucky, she didn't know if she even wanted kids. There were so many things that were unknown and that terrified her. The most she could do, however, was hope that there was a chance she would actually like him.

When they reached the staircase, she went down first. It took a couple of deep breaths to get her ready, but she was still the first one down. Lee offered her his arm and she took it gratefully. She took careful steps to assure she didn't trip and fall. They reached her throne - where she was to sit upon receiving visitors - and she sighed. She knew her parents, unlike AJ. They were kind people, obviously in love, and she was ashamed that she still wasn't living up to them.

She lets go of Lee's arm and hikes up her dress. She takes the three small steps to reach the throne and turns to sit, but before she can, the doors open and guards lead in the royal family of Vraiterra. She lets go of the skirt of the outfit and smooths it out. Looking at the prince, she admits that he was pretty handsome. It was something she could live with.

He looked quite relieved when he saw her, as well.

Being the host, it was customary that she would greet first. "Greetings, Jirani family. I am Clementine Elizabeth Everette, the throne of Cantis, and I welcome you all into my home." She curtsies and watches as her guests bow back. She continues with a smile, "Please, allow the Royal Guard escort you to the dining area and I shall meet you there."

After the guests left, she let out the breath she was holding and looked over to Lee. "You alright, sweet pea?" he asks, holding out his hand to help her down. "You looked stressed."

Clementine takes his hand and begins going down the steps. "I am stressed," she admits. Honesty is the best policy, after all. "But I'd rather wait until after dinner to tell you why."

"As long as you want to," he says, letting her take the lead to the dining room.

-

It took a half hour for everyone to finish their meals and then it was the talking portion of dinner. It was mostly about AJ and Lee up until someone brought up the wedding. It was the queen of Vraiterra who brought it up, so she wasn't scolded for interrupting. When it turned, Clementine stood up with a small, nervous smile.

"I'm sorry to destroy the fun conversation, but I would rather not discuss the wedding quite yet. I still have to speak to my fiance about when it'll be happening." Everyone immediately apologizes and begin to chatter again, ignoring the children even if they were the main topic of conversation. Clementine turns to Lee and informs him she'd be taking the visiting prince aside to speak with him.

She pushes back her chair and moves to the side and pushes her chair back in. The prince was on the other end of the table and she could tell he was watching her the entire time. When she reaches the end of the table, she hesitates to speak even though she knew what she wanted to say. "Follow me. I want to speak to you privately."

"Don't you have to inform the rest of the table?" he says stubbornly, crossing his arms and smirking.

"If they even do notice, my advisor will handle it." She kept a straight face like she'd trained herself to. "If it makes matters more appealing, it's important for the sake of the alliance."

That made him lose to arrogance and immediately stand up. She led him to the kitchens where the royal chef, Omar, and his workers were cleaning up. She trusted the cooking crew completely, so she didn't mind having a private conversation within earshot of them. "I thought you said privately?" he asked, confused.

"I trust my staff, thank you," she growls. "I only have one question and I need you to answer truthfully."

He nods, "Ask it then."

"Do you have any issues with us marrying?"

That hit him like a freight train and it showed. "Why would you assume that?"

"I have issues with it. I want to know yours."

He fumbles with a loose bit of fabric at his neck. "May we go somewhere without anyone around?"

She was hesitant to agree, but she nodded and led him out of the kitchens and to the staircase. "Upstairs is the only place I can think of. Apologies."

The two of them go up the stairs and she leads him to her room. The prince was obviously starstruck by the size or maybe the decorations, but there was no time for messing around. She shut the door and turned to him again, waiting to hear what his issues were. Before he could start speaking, however, a knock came from the door.

"Louis? Are you in there?"


	2. Chapter 2

Clementine snickers, "Who's the stalker?"

Panic-stricken, he inaudibly shushes her and brings her further into the room. Even if he felt confident they couldn't be heard, he still murmured. "That's my issue. I'm... dating someone else."

"Well, that panic makes it seem more important than that," she whispers back. 

Silence from the prince, but another knock. Then, the prince admits something more. "He's my personal guard."

"Lou, I can hear you in there," the voice comes again. "Who're you talking to?"

The prince sighs and retreats to the door. He turns the knob and allows the person waiting inside the room. He was blond-haired, blue-eyed, and clearly worried for his prince. It was nice to see that someone cared for the prince as something more than a peace treaty.

Clementine smiles gently and does a curtsey, "Lovely to meet you. May I ask your name?"

He bows, "My name is Marlon Booth, your majesty."

"You caught a polite one, too. Lucky." She grins excitedly and places her hands together with glee. "I'm glad you were honest with me. This is the best engagement present I could ever ask for."

The blond glances over to the prince with dread clouding his eyes. "You told her?"

"I can keep my lips shut, darling. I've got my issues with this, too." She rolls her shoulders back and calms her smile. "This marriage is political, not out of love."

This time, Louis speaks up. "What are your issues with all this?" he asks, carefully looking over the poised noblewoman across the chamber.

"It's political and I'd rather get married for love. That is what my advisor wished for me, as well, but that simply isn't possible. At least, not yet." The two boys were confused. What did she mean by 'not yet'? It was also a concern of why she took the thoughts of her advisor like she would a parent's. "I see you're both confused. Lee is like a father to both me and my younger brother. He raised us and has dealt with everything from tantrums to broken bones with love. Now, shall we decide on a wedding date?"

 -

The children were back in the dining room minutes later, more confident. Lee was delighted to see Clementine smiling and pulled out her chair to let her sit. "Good talk, sweetpea?"

"Very," she acknowledges, "I'll tell you later."

The dinner went well and dessert was served almost of soon as she sat down. It was lemon meringue pie made to perfection like the chef always required the food to be. It was almost too perfect to eat, but everyone tucked in eagerly. Dozens of commentaries on how gratifying it was came to light and the visiting king asked to meet the chef. Not wanting to disappoint, she called him out to the dining area.

"I apologize for my bluntness, Madame Clementine, but the crew and I are very busy, so can we please make this quick?"

The other royals start to chatter, jeering at how they would've killed him for being so forward. "Of course, Omar. Allow me to apologize for the rudeness of my guests."

"No need, majesty."

"Great! Now, allow me to acquaint you with King Lyonel Jirani of Vraiterra. He wanted to thank you for the wonderful meal you made tonight," she prompts, motioning to the king in question. The look in her eye wasn't evil nor good, but somewhere in between. 

The man coughs, "Uhm, yes, that's right. Thank you, child."

"His name is Chef Omar, your majesty. I request that you give my staff the respect they deserve," she says. The room went stagnantly silent. They were never told to respect someone younger than them, let alone someone beneath them in status.

"Thank you... Chef Omar," he grumbles grudgingly. It was unmistakably forced.

The boy bows and exits just as swiftly as he entered. It was fast, and if Clementine hadn't made a big deal about respect, nobody would've remembered it. "If my internal clock is correct, dinner is over and it's time that I show you to your rooms." She pushes out her chair, springing from her seat and smiling. "I shall inform you all that you are all leaving in the morning, as soon as the sun rises. The guards will wake you when it's time to ready yourselves and I will bid you good luck on your travels."

-

The next morning is chaotic. Clementine is up an hour before she has to be, which means she has to play the waiting game. Sure, she could walk around the castle, but then she had to factor in how much time it would take to get back and you can't see the sun from indoors. Therefore, she stuck waiting for everyone else. Luckily for her, though, the adults liked to chat, so they'd wake up early just to have enough time to talk to everyone.

It was something different, at least.

She once again stood at the thrones that kept her good memories intact. "Good morning, all! I thank you for visiting on such short notice and I hope that you can all make it to the union of our kingdoms! We have discussed a date and will meet more during the following months to address the wedding itself. I bid you all good luck on your travels home and pray you to make it there safely."

Everyone gave a huzzah at the end of her short speech and it made her swell with pride.

AJ ran up to her, chattering on about how he saw a dead turtle outside while he was playing, and got scooped into his big sister's arms. She smiles and goes along with all of it, saying how if he brought it home they could've raised it, among other things. However, the only one who noticed was the blond girl waiting with a group of guards, dressed just like them.

The blond sticks with the group, all of them being apprentices of the Royal Guard, and kneels at the thrones just as the others do. Their teacher introduces them casually to the child ruler, which is not something any of them expected. 

"Lovely to meet you all," she kindly states, bowing her head. "You will all be treated as part of the family, like everyone else in this castle. Please, feel free to request things from the kitchens and don't be afraid to come to me with questions."

It was at that point she spotted the blond girl from those nights ago. Her heart pounded as she made eye contact. This was what she'd wanted for weeks and now that it was happening, she was in shock. She looked even prettier in a guard's outfit.

Clementine's heart almost beat out of her chest when the blond approached her and the small smile she was given made her want to keep the girl all for herself. "Hello, your majesty, my name is Violet Cardarelli. I just wanted to introduce myself to you."

"Please, call me Clementine," she requests, placing AJ on the ground so he could run to Lee. "As long as you're respectful, I couldn't care less what you call me."

Violet tucks her hair behind her ear, "If you insist, Clementine."

A flutter of her heart.

"Would you like me to show you around?" the queen asks, desperate to keep talking to the girl she remembered so clearly. "I would like to speak with you privately if you would."

She seemed surprised but quickly accepted the offer. Clementine had a good idea as to why she accepted, considering the fact that the same girl was sent to kill her. Privacy, as much as she needed it, was dangerous if the assassin girl had anything more than the sword on her. It was a risky move, but she was willing to take it. She was young, unafraid - and it showed.

They made it to the top of the stairs and Clementine shook her head with a small laugh. "Is there something going on, Clementine?" Violet asks innocently.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a stray thread that's giving me an itch, no worries." She gives a small smile, hoping that the girl would fall for it. Or at least, go along with it.

Violet nods before she speaks, "I don't mind waiting for you to change into something more comfortable if you'd like."

"Really? Thank you so much," she responds, gesturing to the right. "My room is just this way."

The two begin walking side-by-side, Violet asking questions about the upcoming wedding and her family. She seemed quite disappointed by Clementine's answers, which was odd enough. Her final question, however, took the queen by surprise.

"What if you fall in love with someone else?"

She stops because they're at the door, but is clearly shocked. She opens the door and invites Violet inside to continue talking while she changes. "I don't know," she says, shutting the door behind the both of them. "I've never had a chance to get to know someone that well."


	3. Chapter 3

Clementine had changed and ready to resume the tour, but when she reemerged, the girl was clutching a blade that she didn't have before. Even if she comprehended it could've happened, she didn't exactly anticipate it. Even so, she wasn't alarmed.

"Glad you remember me as much as I do you," she admits, dusting her hands down her outfit. "Been intending to ask about that, actually."

That made the green-eyed would-be assassin furrow her brows in confusion. "What do you mean you remember me?"

"I remember that I saw a knife at my throat and you were its handler. Haven't slept much since then either." She smiles and takes a stride further. "Why didn't you kill me?"

A fire started to burn in the girl's eyes. It was either rage or fear, maybe somewhere in between. And it only grew when Clementine kept a straight face. It made a complete change in the atmosphere of the room. Fire versus water - clashing and colliding before water won and overtook the burning. There was no physical smoke, but the air still felt stiff and too thick to breathe through.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the blond grits through her teeth.

"You aren't telling the truth," Clementine chirps. "You know precisely what I'm talking about."

"I'm not lying."

"You are, Violet."

"I'm not!"

"You're protecting someone, I can tell."

That makes the girl break. Not a snap, but instead a crumble as she realizes that she was too easy to read.

"You have no idea the stakes at hand," she whispers, her eyes meeting Clementine's. "The bullying. They treat me like shit because I couldn't kill you. If I can't do it now, they'll kill _me_ instead!"

The brunette was able to get close enough to the point she could grab the dagger if she wanted. She instead whispered, "You won't be treated that way here."

Violet stays quiet - wanting to continue - looking to her feet and biting the inside of her cheek. It was a huge decision. Of course, it was indirectly intended to be considered as a choice, just not worded as being ordered to choose. She didn't know anyone that could run away from the Delta, let alone live if they succeeded. Lilly was relentless and wouldn't stop until her target was dead.

"Would I be safe?"

"From what?"

The silence implied that the fear had been there for a long, long time. "The Delta."

"The mercenary organization?" Clementine softly inquires, planting a kind hand the girl's arm. "Why do you need protection from them?"

"It's an assassination group."

The shock made the queen blink rapidly for a few seconds as she processed the new information. At first, it made her furrow her brows at the thought. But then, she started to giggle. After about thirty seconds, it was a full blown laugh. This, meanwhile, confused the hell out of Violet.

"I'm sorry about that," she sighs. "You just put it out there so bluntly. I'm not used to that."

-

A couple of hours later, the two girls finally finished the tour they initially started. They mostly spoke about the new information on the assassination group and how they were going to present it to the rest of the guard but decided to wait until dinner so nobody interrupts. It was easier when there were no guards listening in, no matter how much trust Clementine had in her staff.

At dinner, they used a smaller table. It was very uncomfortable for Violet to seemingly intrude on such a tight-knit family, but she was obviously welcomed there. Even the prince wanted her to stay.

"Oh, right!" Clementine says quickly, wiping her mouth with her napkin politely. "Lee, we have to talk about the mercenary group, the Delta. Remember them?"

"Yes, I remember them quite well... What's happened?"

"They aren't a mercenary group like we thought," she answers excitedly. Nothing like this ever happened. "They're an _assassination_ organization!"

"Not something to get excited about, sweetpea." He places his silverware in a way that shows he's finished.

The girl grumbles, crossing her arms defiantly. For someone who could poise herself so well, she acted like a child just as often. "Maybe you'd be more interested if I told you they sent someone after me."

"What?! Who?!"

"Not important," she rushes, brushing it off. "Just -- Do we know where the main location is, Lee?"

"I'm not sure. I'd have to go through my files."

Violet was stiff, messing with her hands as the pair started to argue. Meanwhile, AJ wandered over to her and said hi. Even if he was kept away from most kids his age, he was pretty friendly. He leaned against the arm of her chair and started loading her with questions like most children do.

"Why's your hair so short?" he asks eagerly.

"Uhm... I just like to keep it that way, that's all." She gives him a smile and turns her chair to face him. However, he ends up climbing into her lap.

"AJ!" Clementine scolds, pointing at the kid's own chair. "Keep your manners, please."

Violet waves her hands a little, "No, no, it's fine!"

"He might be the prince, but he needs to respect everyone," Lee tells her, standing and grabbing AJ. "I'll leave you girls to finish dinner."

-

After the two girls finished their dinner, Clementine had to show her guest how to position her utensils correctly. It took a few minutes, but the kitchen staff was incredibly patient. They still smiled politely and took the plates as soon as the dinnerware was placed correctly. Eventually, the two girls went back upstairs, as the affairs for the day were done and the new Royal Guard didn't start training until next week. Instead of going back to Clementine's room, they instead went to a meeting room to further talk about a plan for taking down the Delta. It just seemed fitting for the occasion. 

"You know the layout, right?" the brunette asks, eyes lit up. "That would be spectacular!"

"Most of it, I think." Violet shrugs and picks at the dry skin on her hands under the table. "I know enough to get around."

Clementine squeals happily at the thought of doing something worthwhile during her ruling. "Okay, is there any way to identify their agents?"

The blond was surprised at how proper the queen's vocabulary was when just talking casually. "A tattoo. Only of older kids and adults have it, though. I can draw it."

The brunette nods quickly and begins to scrounge through the drawers for a paper and piece of charcoal. The ink for quills was expensive since the kingdom didn't have any allies that produced it regularly, so they resorted to using charcoal. It was simple enough to access and there was always an excess of it during the winter months. 

"Here you go!" she chirps happily, handing over a piece of old parchment and charcoal. It was exciting, even if the consequence of failure would likely be her death. "Oh! We also have to plan around my wedding. Completely forgot for a second."

"Isn't it supposed to be the happiest day of your life?" Violet asks absentmindedly, slowly beginning the sketch.

"Not really. It's just political," she says. It was more casual than it should've been. "But it'll mean my kingdom will benefit, so I'm fine with it."

That was the part that confused the girl the most, and it showed how different a royal's life really was. She was fine with getting married for politics even if it meant faking love. It would be easy to do, sure, but that's got to take a toll on someone.

"You're really okay with that?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Delta's symbol is the ancient Greek symbol for something along the lines of 4. I found a link and everything!
> 
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B4


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't defend myself. It's been ages.

"I am," Clementine says softly, smiling. "I still wish I could marry for love, but that's not an option anymore."

"You could," the blond mumbles, continuing her drawing.

"That would break the alliance and mean war." The brunette straightens herself and crosses her arms. "As much as I understand your point of view, I _refuse_ to risk that."

Violet finished the drawing and tried to hand it off to the girl. "They only give it to official members. It won't do you much for catching students, but... it should help," she says quietly.

Clementine straightens and keeps her hands to herself. The smile on her face was a mix of friendliness and mischevious nature. "I believe you can show everyone yourself," she chirps, gesturing to the door they came from. When the blond's face turns to fear, the queen's expression softens dramatically. "My apologies. It's a private meeting with my advisor and the general. If anybody makes a move toward you, I'll cut them myself."

That wasn't enough. Violet was so used to people lying to her, just a promise wasn't enough. "I still don't want my name mixed in there."

"Deal," Clementine agrees. It was immediate. The queen holds out a gloved hand for Violet to shake as confirmation. When she doesn't move, Clementine takes her hand away while clearing her throat. "I should be going then. Head to my room and I'll meet you there after the meeting."

The queen poised herself and took the paper before walking out of the room. She understood why Violet didn't want to attend the meeting, but she was worried it would be more suspicious if she didn't. Her lonely footsteps were never joined by another's and it made her a bit upset. She scolded herself for being unreasonable as she reached the door to the war room, which she never enjoyed using for any occasion. 

She straightened her back and pushed the door open, quietly shutting it behind her. The only other people in the room were Lee and the general, Serea. No guards were present.

"Your majesty," the general says, bowing her head.

Clementine nods back, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Please, give me updates on what you found, Lee."

"I found their location. It's the old tavern at the edge of the city."

The queen holds back a squeal of excitement. "Wonderful. Now, we shall send a small detachment, of about 3 or so to set up a job on a fake person."

"Your majesty, if I may," Serea interrupts. Clementine nods. "What is my purpose here?"

The girl takes a deep breath. "You are going to identify those in the assassination group. They have a symbol they tattoo on themselves. Take this drawing and distribute it to the guards you trust with your life. We don't know who is allied with them and who isn't. Only adults and older children get them, so any children below the age of 17 or so won't have one."

"Yes, your majesty."

Clementine gives the piece of paper to her general, careful not to wrinkle it in the slightest. She felt sentimental about it, for some reason. Flustered, she clears her throat quietly. "That is all. Serea, be careful. You too, Lee."

She leaves the war room swiftly, trying to rush back to her room without being stopped. Sadly, life never seems to work out how one wants it to, and she is stopped by one of the new guards. They're a bit older than Violet, with red hair and surprisingly kind blue eyes. "Greetings, majesty."

"Hello," she greets calmly, trying not to bounce in her place. "Is there something you need from me?"

"Just wondering how old you are. You seem a bit yo-"

Clementine stops them with a raised hand. "If you are going to say that I am a bit young to be ruling, remove yourself. I am aware that I am younger than any other king or queen that has ruled in recent times. Now, please excuse me. I have a meeting to get to."

They stop dead in their tracks and walk away, at which point the queen starts back on her rushed path to her room, hoping that the person wasn't following her. Once she reached her bedroom door, she entered without a second thought and shut the door gently even though she wanted to slam it. Violet was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room with a surprised look on her face, her green eyes blinking rapidly for a second.

"What happened to you?"

The queen takes a deep breath to calm herself. "Nothing. The good news is that I have my guards on the lookout for those with the tattoo unless they're children and a small team going to see if they can set up a job. If this works out, we carve the Delta from the inside. I do have a concern, though."

"What is it?"

"Do you have anyone in there you care about? A partner? Family, perhaps?"

Violet looks to the ground with an angry look, "No."

"Please don't hide things from me."

The pleading in her voice made the blond flinch in her seat, but she didn't crumble. "I don't."

"Fine. Now, I would offer you sleep in the guards' quarters, but I don't feel that it's safe." Clementine takes a breath and smiles at Violet in the process. "Therefore, I'm making you my personal guard. You get safer quarters that way."

Violet looks confused. "You... trust me?"

"Yes."

Silence filled the air. "Why?"

"You broke away from the Delta, you failed to kill me twice, and you haven't attempted a third assassination." That still didn't feel like enough, but she took it. The queen showed her new personal guard to her sleeping quarters, which were lowly decorated and mostly bland. "You can decorate it however you like. I recommend green. It would match your eyes."

Violet gave the monarch a questionable glance but didn't say anything. She didn't get anything this fancy in the Delta, let alone getting a personal room. The two could hear rapid footsteps out in the hall that both made that look out questionably. AJ was running through the halls like a madman, which was cute for now.

"Clem!" he exclaims, running toward his sister and giggling when she scooped him up.

She smiles, squeezing him tight for a moment. "What're you doing, goofball?"

"Lee says it's bedtime."

"For you or me?"

He giggles, "Shh. I'm trying to hide."

"Alright," she muses, placing him on the ground and letting him run off. The guards would know where he was even if he thought he was well hidden.

"You guys are close."

The queen turns and apologizes for abruptly ending the conversation. "He's the only one who doesn't remember our parents. It's... comforting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I still don't have a defense. I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is Gay Panic (tm) in this chapter. Enjoy.

"Comforting?" Violet inquires. 

Clementine nods, eyes sparkling and a smile painted on her face. "He doesn't remember our parents. He's a... happy place instead of a reminder of them."

"Oh," the blond whispers, looking at her feet.

The queen takes in a breath, shaking her head. "Sorry. I'll leave you now. I'll come to get you after I wake up."

"Could you stay?"

The question was sudden and suspended the air for a time. Clementine likened it to the air freezing solid in her head, but she couldn't quite get the words out. She flushed at first, stumbling over her words for a solid minute, growing more flustered each time she failed to speak correctly. Eventually, she had to take in a breath to calm herself.

"Apologies, Violet." The words came out odd, but they were the only ones she could say for the moment. "I can! I just- you're very forward, Miss Cardarelli."

The girl's eyes went wide and she looked at the ground briefly. "Uh, Violet is fine."

"Right. It's a habit, sorry. How long would you like me to stay?"

Violet glanced toward the window. "How long can you?"

"Theoretically, all night. I mean, if that's the case, we could just stay in my room for the night instead."

The blond tried to put it to Clementine being a ruler from a young age and not understanding things. No matter how many times she told herself that, she couldn't help but blush violently. It was embarrassing, but she was too far into it to retreat. "Okay."

"Really?" Clementine exclaims excitedly.

Being queen from the age of 12 didn't allow for many friends, so she never had a sleepover with anyone other than AJ and he didn't exactly count. She waits for Violet to nod before she starts leading the way back to her bedroom, biting her lip to hide the grin that threatened to crack her face in half. Once in her room, Clementine sat in the chair that was in front of her mirror and began to undo her hair, letting it fall from its pins. She tied it back with a hair tie to keep it out of her face.

After that, she began to undo her dress, which caused Violet to make a great deal of noise as she fell over. Her yelp on top of that was enough to make the queen laugh.

"Are you okay?"

Violet nodded, "Fine! Completely fine!"

"You fell."

She nodded again. "Yep! Just fine!"

"Could you help with my dress then?"

This time, she shook her head just as violently. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"Uh... Is it? I have my corset on underneath. I just can't reach the one knot to undo it."

Violet stood up slowly, face redder than ever as she walked over to untie the knot. When she finished, Clementine let the lavender-colored dress slip off her shoulders and fall to the ground. She was still covered modestly with her corset and stockings, but Violet was still flushed. The queen thanked her, pulling the knot on the corset to ensure it would slip before disappearing behind a separator that split off a corner of the room. When she emerged, she came out in a cream nightdress and was holding one that was sky blue.

"What's that for?" Violet asks awkwardly.

Clementine looked to the nightdress in her hand briefly. "The nightdress? For you to wear. A guard's clothes aren't that comfortable. I can't imagine you'll do much sleeping."

"Oh. Thanks."

She took her turn behind the separator and came out wearing the nightgown. It hung awkwardly, just a tad too big. Plus, it showed off how she was skin and bones. "Goodness," the queen said, brows furrowed. "You're like a skeleton. Did you eat enough at dinner? Are you still hungry?"

"No, I'm fine. I've always been skinny."

Clementine hums, not entirely convinced, but let it go. "Alright. Do you want to talk or...?"

"Uh... sure. What about?"

The brunette looks around the room and sighs, throwing her head into her hands. Her voice came out muffled. "I don't know."

"Tell me about yourself," the blond blurts out, her face heating.

The queen looked up and curiosity glittered over her features. "Really? Okay. I'm pretty alone. Not many kids my age want to talk to me because they think I'm stuck-up or something. There's always Omar, but he doesn't really care about anything other than the kitchen, so that's off the table. I guess I'm just glad that you're talking to me instead of trying to run away or kill me again."

"Oh. Well, I'm not that popular, either."

Clementine now looked confused more than anything. "Why not? Because you failed to assassinate me?"

To a ruler, something like that seems logical to a point, but there comes a time where it becomes irrational. "Yeah, basically."

"It probably doesn't mean much... but I enjoy your company, even though you tried to kill me."

Violet smiles gently, bringing her knees to her chest. "It means more than you think."

"I'm glad." A knock comes from the door, making the blond jump slightly. For Clementine, it was nothing unusual, but she still ensured that her guest felt safe before calling out for the person on the other side to come in. Lee opened the door with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "Is something wrong, Lee?"

"Hey, sweetpea," he greets. "Have you seen AJ?"

She chuckles, golden eyes like pools of honey. "He ran off to hide from you. I'd check the kitchen and storeroom. He's bound to get hungry."

"Thank you."

Violet was surprised at how tired the man had seemed. She assumed everyone in power had infinite time to rest and do whatever they want. "Is he alright?"

"Yes. My brother is a bit of a handful, is all." She turns herself to face Violet, her freckled skin distracting the blond for a moment as she felt the heat rise on her face again. "We should discuss your responsibilities as my personal guard."

"O-oh?"

Clementine nods, "Most of it is simply being at my side and ensuring my protection. But there's also the fact that you're an assassin and there will likely be others who will recognize you. We can come up with something to disguise you if that concerns you. Ah, we'll have to discuss this with Lee in the morning, he knows more about this than me."

"Do we have to disclose the... assassin part?"

The queen chuckles, "Of course not. He's still worked up about the whole planned assassination, anyway."

"Okay, good. I don't want to die just yet."

The chuckle turns to a giggle that is struggling to be suppressed. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Violet flushes again, hiding her face in a pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

The two didn't end up staying up too late, but it was later than planned. Clementine was swept away by sleep first, leaving Violet to her thoughts. Despite the two coming together, they weren't a good combination. She kept the pillow she buried her head into earlier that night against her chest as the guilt rose. She was sent to  _kill_  the girl who was just unlucky enough to have her parents die and be told she has to rule an entire kingdom. She wasn't even sure who wanted the job done, but she didn't know why they wanted it.

Clementine was just a lonely teenager who wanted friends.

Hell, it wasn't even as if she was rude and spoiled. If anything, she was too nice. Her green eyes ended up locking onto the brunette's face and she flushed when she caught herself staring. A lot was going on, but she knew her side now. Even if it got her killed, she would protect the queen until the end. Violet could see how it would likely end, but at this point, she didn't care.

She turned over and tried to fall asleep. It took a while, but sleep eventually took her too.

In the morning, Clementine rose first and began getting ready without much thought. A single maid entered the room silently and stayed quiet as the queen gestured to the blond still asleep. Ever so politely, she even offered to take her things to another room so the two could talk, but the maid declined. Instead, the two dressed Clementine in her usual dress, mostly lilac with deep lavender and white making up other parts. It was an intricate design that matched her crown, a golden circlet with a gemstone the same deep lavender that painted parts of the dress. Afterward, they did her hair, braiding one side and tying it to the other.

She slipped her gloves back on, smoothing them out and respectfully dismissing the chambermaid. Quietly, she stands to the side of the bed that Violet is resting on and nudges her. The blond stirs and yelps when she sees the queen standing next to the bed with bright eyes.

"Good morning," the brunette greets, "I'm afraid that it's time to get ready. Don't worry about time, we have plenty."

Violet's eyes are wide again, but her face isn't as flushed as before. "Uh... Do we get breakfast?"

"Yes. You'll be well-fed, no worries. Three meals a day, plus snacks if you want them." Clementine glances toward the window. "Speaking of food, at breakfast I'm going to ask Lee to talk with us about your new title. He's much better at explaining everything."

The blond nods, looking around for her clothing. "Uhm-"

"Behind the separator."

She mumbles thanks and makes her way to her clothes, being as quiet as possible. She can hear the queen humming to herself while she tidies the room, even though it seemed odd for a ruler to be doing. She dressed in the guard's outfit before looking at herself in the mirror. She hated being so underweight and having it show. It made her feel overly fragile. Grabbing her weapons and putting them in their places, she walks out to the main part of the room.

"Uh, you ready to go?"

Clementine looks up with an inquisitive hum and nods. She slips on a pair of heels, making her taller than she already is. "Ready. Today we're having pancakes, just so you know."

"Like... out of a box?"

The queen coughs to hide her laugh. "No, no. Omar insists that everything is to be freshly made from scratch."

"Wow," Violet says breathily. She was a bit surprised at how simple yet fancy everything was. Most in the city could make things from scratch, but everything in the castle was made professionally. Especially because, as far as she knew, Omar was about the same age as them. "That sounds great."

Clementine smiles, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Let's get going then. I have important matters to attend to today and I try to be early."

"Oh, okay!"

The two walk through the hall at a casual pace, chatting about unimportant things and being careful of their words. When they reached the staircase leading to the lower level, Violet offered her arm to the brunette, who accepted it with ease. Once at the bottom, Clementine takes the lead to the dining room, grinning as she sees Lee and Aj already sat.

"Good morning!" she chirps, taking her seat and watching as Violet takes hers.

Lee smiles at her, "Morning, sweetpea."

"I have some good news." Her advisor waits with interest painting his face. "I chose my personal guard. Violet and I really hit it off and she had a high evaluation from the General, so I believe she will make a wonderful choice of personal guard. But I know you explain this all better than I do, so could you?"

He pries a fork out of AJ's hand before giving an approving hum. "It isn't much. You have to protect her with your life, stay at her side at all times, swear to keep all you hear confidential unless told otherwise, and subject yourself to further training in kidnapping scenarios and the like."

"Okay."

The quick reaction from Violet made the queen worry. Her golden eyes went wide and she frowned slightly, looking over to the blond and touching her hand gently. "You sure? That's a lot to go through without thinking."

All it takes is a knowing look and the queen sighs, letting it go. "I'll get you set up for training as soon as possible then."

Idle chatter ensued until breakfast arrived, with Chef Omar leading the waitstaff out. As usual, he didn't talk to anyone but his crew and they all promptly left the dining room to clean the kitchen.

"So," Clementine started as she cut up her food. "Would it be possible for me to view the training?"

"You sure, sweetpea?"

She nods confidently, determination lining her features. "I'm sure, Lee."

"Alright."

It was Violet's turn to worry. While she had been prepared by the Delta for these situations, Clementine had likely never seen one before, training or not. However, she didn't pass any words. Instead, she gave a concerned glance before turning back to her food. It was drilled into her head that that was all she could do, even if it weren't true.

She believed she could do nothing to save others.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clementine is very oblivious and you can't change my mind.

After breakfast, Clementine couldn't help but notice how her friend looked increasingly worried as the minutes passed. "Are you alright, Violet?"

"I'm fine."

She smiled gently, "I've seen training sessions before. At AJ's age, I saw my first. I simply want to ensure it's done correctly."

"I don't want you to see me like that."

The queen cleared her throat politely. "If you're worried because you know you'll be numb to it all, no worries. As soon as I heard the words assassination group, I knew that they would've extensively done this type of training."

"No. My scars," the blond whispered, hands going to her back. "It was never training with the Delta. It was  _real_. Always."

The brunette's face fell, her gloved hands reaching out to comfort the other girl. "The test is just formality. I can bypass it if it's too much."

"That would be suspicious, your majesty," the other girl mumbles.

Clementine caught on to the hint quickly, backing away and smoothing out her outfit. She was a queen, not a normal teenaged girl who got to have friends. She had to act as such. "Of course," she murmured.

"Plus, if I'm going to do this, I better do it right," Violet said proudly. Pride was something she had to keep. If not that, she really had nothing else.

The queen sighed. "As you wish. I'll say no more about it."

"Did Lee tell you when it was?"

She shook her head. "He has to talk to the General."

"Oh. Okay."

They stayed silent for a minute before Clementine spoke again. "May I show you something?"

"Uh, I guess."

A smile formed. It was polite, but Violet could tell she was just very good at hiding a grin. "Splendid! I need to change quickly. You may wait outside if you so choose."

They reach her bedroom and the blond chose to wait outside. However, when the queen exited this time around, it was much different than what she was expecting. She was wearing denim jeans, a loose shirt, and even combat boots. She didn't know royalty could  _have_  combat boots. Her hair was also let out of its tight bun and was now tied into two parts with a hat over it.

"Uh, you look nice," she said, stumbling over her words slightly. She flushed a bit after the fact.

Clementine's smile made it worse. "Thanks, Violet. Now, follow me!"

The fact she could move so quickly through the castle without getting lost confused the hell out of the blond, mostly since she had zero clues as to where she was. However, she didn't bother asking anything.

"So, where is this place you're taking me."

The brunette looked a bit confused, "I didn't mention it? It's an old bell tower from a schoolhouse."

"Wait... Are you talking about the one from Ericsons?"

Clementine smiled again, "That's the one. Now, I do have a question for you. If it's alright with you, of course."

"Uh, ask away," Violet said softly. The queen had noticed that she had a naturally quiet disposition.

"Do you have a nickname I can use? Only in private."

The blond flushed again, but it didn't seem to be noticed. She thanked god that that was the case. "Not really. You, uh, you can make one up if you want."

"Really?" Violet nodded. "Hm... I'm not the best at this, so how about... Vi! Nice and simple. Does that sound alright, Vi?"

Just as the blond thought that her red face couldn't get worse, it did. "Yeah, that's fine," she mumbled, hiding in her hands. There was definitely some internal screaming.

"You're super cute," the brunette mused, her honey-colored eyes just as soft as her words.

The internal screaming turned into internal screeching and Violet couldn't speak at this point. Her ears were even turning scarlet. Although she looked mostly calm with the exception of widened eyes, she was not at all like that on the inside.

"Uh, Vi, are you okay?" Clementine asked, concern painting her features.

The blond nodded harshly, "Yup! Fine!"

"Are you sure? Maybe you're coming down with something." She pressed the back of her hand onto Violet's forehead and frowned. "You feel warm. Do you want to rest?"

"No, I'm fine! I swear!" she exclaimed. The internal screeching only got worse.

Clementine looked as if she didn't believe the other girl. "I'll let it go for now. You don't get to be out of my sight for a while. I want to make sure you're okay."

"Clementine, I'm fine. I promise."

"Let's just get to the belltower, alright?"

Violet sighed, "Alright."

Once at the top, they both sat comfortably at the edge, their legs dangling off of the side as they sat next to each other. Neither one of them spoke until Violet started pointing out the different shapes the clouds were making. Then, it turned into a game between the two.

"Do you like the sky?" Clementine asked, peering over at her with her honey-colored eyes.

The blond shrugged, "I guess so."

"Well, if you're interested, we have an astronomy tower. It's not used very often, so everything is in mint condition," she trailed off as Violet's face turned awestruck. "Interested?"

"Very," she replied immediately, eyes sparkling.

Clementine smiled, "The ceiling there is painted with all the constellations if you don't want to wait."

"Can we- I mean, please?"

She couldn't hold back a quiet chuckle, "Yeah, of course, just be careful climbing down."

As worried as she was, the queen refused to let Violet climb down alone out of the silly fear her 'fever' would make her feel faint and fall. Once back in the castle, Clementine led the way to the astronomy tower. She didn't know why, but she felt almost obligated to see this girl be happy.

Once they entered, Violet's face lit up like the sun lights up the fields. "This is amazing! I... the Delta never had this..."

"Glad you like it. Nobody really uses it, so it's pretty much yours to use whenever you like."

The blond squealed a bit, but then the realization hit her. "Don't I have to accompany you everywhere?"

"Who said it can't be the other way around?" she jested, a smile still pulling at her lips.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't care that she's a trained assassin, Violet is soft.


End file.
